通訳翻訳ジャーナル2008秋号
日本翻訳者協会と通訳翻訳ジャーナルの「～英語翻訳のプロたちが綴る～後進への招待状」連載企画ですが、2008年秋号（本日発売）にはDavid Petersenさんが「Source Language Versus Target Language Bias in Translation」という記事を寄稿しました。
次号（11月21日発売）はマーク・スティーブンソンさんが社内翻訳者の実態について惜しみなく語ります。
通訳翻訳web
News & Announcements
News & Announcements
そして10年後 アポロ、パソコン、インターネット…Googleへ
This article by 佐藤綾子（Emily Shibata-Sato） originally appeared in the May 2008 issue of the Tsuyaku-Honyaku Journal. Reprinted with permission.
約10年前の1999年、本誌の「Translation World」シリーズで「人生の転機はアポロ、パソコン、インターネット」と題して次のような内容のエッセイを書かせて頂きました。
「英語が仕事になる！」と最初に知ったのは、アポロ11号月面着陸時の交信の同時通訳を聞いた小学生の時。最初は通訳をめざしたが、パソコンが購入可能となった1980年代半ばにローンで購入し（一式100万円もした！）、勤めを辞めてフリーとなり、翻訳と通訳の仕事を開始する。その後のバブル時代、翻訳の仕事がメインとなる。90年代後半にはインターネットが登場し、情報収集の入口となる検索エンジン（YahooやGoo）、世界規模の翻訳者向けメーリングリスト（JAT-LISTやHonyaku）という二つの強力な情報ツールを利用するようになった･･･
結びの文章はこうでした。「日々変化することばと、進化する技術を追いかけながらの『コミュニケーション助っ人』稼業は、これからも続けていくつもりです」
はい、2008年の今もまだ続けています。
Google登場
当時、今思えばひっそりと、もう１つの検索エンジンが成長し始めていました。98年にサービスを開始したGoogleです。
Google という言葉が前述のHonyakuに初めて登場したのは、99年1月19日、”Yakkers [=Honyaku subscriber] in search of authenticity may like to check out a new search engine: http://www.google.com/ “ という書き込みです。 同年9月7日には ““It's[Google is] more up to date than AltaVista, and if you search for two terms, it gives you context for both.” とあります。当時の検索エンジンでは１つの単語からしか検索できないのが普通でした。さらに12月2日には、「”my apology” と “my apologies”のちがいは? 」という議論が続くなか、「Google検索したら、前者が2,859件、後者が3,538件ヒットした」と報告されていました。今ためしに両方をGoogle検索＝「ググって」みましたら、それぞれ約59万件と410万件ヒットしました。いったい情報は何倍に「爆発」したのでしょうか。
上記3件のメールは、1995年以降のメール約22万件が保存されており、今も更新され続けているHonyaku Archive http://honyaku-archive.org/から発掘しました。
Googleで探す＋Googleを表現辞典として使う
―ダブルクォーテーションとワイルドカード
私は、2004年からJAT新人翻訳者コンテストに関わっており、最近の第4回コンテストでは審査員の一人を務めました。今回、審査にあたって一番感じたのは、せっかくGoogleという便利な道具があるのだから、応募者はもう少し背景情報を調べたり、自分の訳文をチェックしたりすればよかったのに、ということです。英日部門の課題文 ”Protect The Merger Or Sale Value Of Your Business: What You Can Learn From The DaimlerChrysler Debacle” （約900 words）から２つ例を挙げます。
原文１ When Daimler purchased Chrysler, Chrysler was having record revenues of 61 billion dollars and net earnings of 2.8 billion dollars.
訳文1-1 ダイムラーがクライスラーを購入した時、クライスラーは610億ドルという記録的な売上高と28億ドルという純利益を打ち出していた。
この訳文には2つ問題があります。第1は「購入」です。DaimlerやChryslerが何だかわからなくても、Googleで 「Daimler Chrysler」、あるいはカタカナの「ダイムラー クライスラー 」のキーワードでググれば、両社のオフィシャルサイトやWikipediaが上位に表示されます。それらを読んだり、さらにリンクをたどっていったりすれば、これが企業「買収」をめぐる話であるとわかります。
第2は「・･･純利益を打ち出していた」です。このような言い方はあるのだろうかと疑問に思ったら、” 純利益を打ち出していた” と検索語句の前後にダブルクォーテーション（””）をつけてググると、検索語句をそのままの形で含むページを検索できます。検索した結果、この表現は見当たりませんでした（ただしその後、JATのウェブサイトに訳文を掲載したため、今はそれがヒットします）。
訳文1-2 ダイムラーがクライスラーを買収した時期は、クライスラーが売上高610億ドル・純利益28億ドルという記録的な数字を達成していた時期だった。
１つの文で「時期」を2回使ったのは減点対象ですが、文章としてはこちらの方がこなれているでしょう。
原文２ Exciting new product lines were eagerly accepted by the market.
訳文2-1 新たな生産品目の積極的な導入を、市場は熱狂をもって受け入れた。
訳文2-2 消費者の興味をそそる新たな製品ラインは購買層の熱烈な歓迎を受けていた。
訳文2-3 斬新な新型車のラインナップは熱狂的にマーケットに受け入れられ、
この文脈での「熱狂」や「熱烈」は、対象がアイドルではないのでちょっと大げさかなという気がしました。では他にどのような言い方ができるでしょうか。表現のバリエーションをGoogleで調べるには、ワイルドカードとしてアスタリク(*) を使います。たとえば ”市場*受け入れられ”などと言葉を組み合わせてググり、検索結果を見ていけば「”eagerly accepted”の意味は、わざわざ”熱烈・熱狂”を加えなくても、“歓迎した・された”に近いかな？」などと判断できます。
２つの検索ワザ” ”と*は、日英翻訳の際にもフル活用できます。その他のGoogle活用術については本誌でもよく特集されていると思いますし、JAT会員の安藤進さんによる「翻訳に役立つ Google表現検索テクニック」（丸善出版事業部、2007）もぜひご覧ください。
もちろんGoogleを使いこなすには、たくさんの文章を読み、自分の頭のなかに言葉のデータベースを構築し、しかもそれを更新し続けていかねばなりません。
さて次の10年、私は日々変化することばと進化する技術を、どこまで追いかけていけるでしょうか。
JAT新人翻訳者コンテストとは？
JATの設立20周年を記念し、優秀な新人実務翻訳者の発掘と奨励を目的として2004年に始められたコンテストです。応募資格は実務翻訳（放送・映像翻訳も含む）経験３年未満の方で、JAT会員・非会員は問いません。年１回開催され、部門は日英翻訳部門と英日翻訳部門、応募料は無料です。両部門の第１位受賞者は、世界の英日・日英翻訳者が集まって研究発表を行なう国際会議 (IJET:http://jat.org/ijet/)に招待されます。詳しくは http://jat.org/contest/ をご覧ください。すでにこのコンテストからプロデビューを果たした方々もおられます。
＜Profile＞
佐藤綾子（Emily Shibata-Sato）
サンフランシスコ生まれ。ICUから上智大大学院へ。フリーで翻訳・通訳・調査を行なう傍ら、日本女子大・日本獣医生命科学大の非常勤講師として、英語論文の読み方やインターネット利用法を教える。翻訳分野は、主に社会科学系の論文や調査研究報告書。JATには設立直後の1985年5月に入会し、これまで理事、監事、翻訳コンテスト審査員などを務めている。
Thoughts and tips on becoming a patent translator ～特許翻訳への道 成功するために～
This article by James Phillips originally appeared in the February 2008 issue of the Tsuyaku-Honyaku Journal. Reprinted with permission.
People that are considering a career in patent translation often seem to have exactly the same questions. In this article I will attempt to answer those questions, give some hints as to how you can study for free, and give some useful advice regarding how to get work once qualified.
The following is a list of questions I am asked most often.
1) Is there a demand for patent translators?
2) Do you think I would make a good patent translator?
3) What is the best way to become a patent translator?
4) Can I really study for free?
5) Should I work in-house, or freelance?
6) How can I get freelance work?
1. Is there a demand for patent translators?
特許翻訳の需要はあるのか？
This question is easy to answer. Yes, there is always a demand for GOOD patent translators. A good translator will usually have the following:
a) An excellent understanding of the source and target languages.
b) A detailed knowledge of the subject being translated.
c) Specialist knowledge relating to how to translate patent specifications.
d) A meticulous approach with regards to quality and deadlines.
If you already have a) and b) then you have an excellent chance of achieving your objectives as c) and d) can be picked up with relative ease (at least compared to a) and b)!). Having a specialist subject that you know inside-out is an enormous advantage. It will make the task of translating much more straightforward and it will also be much easier to sell yourself as a translator. The translation work itself will also be more interesting for you because if you have an in-depth knowledge of the subject it is probably something you like (hopefully!). If you do not have any kind of specialization then it will be more difficult to sell yourself to potential customers and the fees you can command are likely to be lower than a specialist. However, if there is a subject you have a strong interest in that you feel you can pick-up with relative ease, then maybe it will be possible to turn that subject into your specialization.
2. Do you think I would make a good patent translator?
自分は良い翻訳者になれるのか？
All good translators have one thing in common: a willingness to ask questions and to never stop learning. If you have a willingness to learn and preferably some kind of specialist subject then there is every chance that you will be able to become a successful patent translator. You should be aware though that this will require a relatively sustained amount of effort over a reasonable period of time. Like most skills worth having, it is not the kind of skill you can pick up overnight.
3. What is the best way to become a patent translator?
特許翻訳者になるための最良の方法とは何か？
I obviously have a vested interest in this subject as I provide courses in patent translation via my site at horsefrog.com and there is a bewildering array of courses offered by a wide range of translation schools. However, such courses will often serve merely as a springboard for entry into the business, but what approach should then be taken to gaining the right kind of experience that will help you to become a high-quality patent translator? The most common route is to join a patent office or the patent department of a company as a junior translator. When choosing such a job, take care to be sure that you will be tutored in an effective manner by the staff of the company. The level of expertise offered by a patent office or company patent department will often be higher than that offered by a translation agency but you may find that entry is more difficult as a result so a translation agency may also be considered. If, for example, you have already had a career spanning a number of years as an engineer, you may find that you can skip this step altogether and go straight to being a freelancer by making use of your specialty.
4. Can I really study for free?
本当にお金をかけずに勉強できるのか？
Yes, self-training is possible to a certain extent. The big advantage with the Internet is that it provides a wealth of information that can be harvested for the purposes of study. For example, it is possible to search the USPTO for a US patent that has a corresponding Japanese patent and then search the JPO for the equivalent Japanese patent. This will often yield two almost identical documents that can then be used for the purposes of studying. You can also get documents in the exact field you wish to study by searching in a manner corresponding to this field. Detailed instructions of how to do this are provided on the horsefrog.com site. We also run free online patent translation workshops on the horsefrog site once a month where you can have a short translation evaluated for free and we provide free translator level evaluations. Free glossaries and a forum are also provided. The JPO, USPTO, and WIPO sites themselves are also excellent free sources of information regarding patents and how they should be written.
One suggestion I would have if you are studying by yourself though is to be very careful not to study simply by memorizing sentences. A much better approach is to read the document you are intending to translate very carefully, gain a full understanding of the invention first, then translate the document in the manner that you yourself would actually have written the document had you actually been the author. Finally, compare your translation to the actual original document. This will give your translations a much more natural feeling than attempting to translate a document word for word. Joining a translation organization such as JTF or JAT will also enable you to share your experiences with others in the same situation and pick up a great deal of useful information that would otherwise be extremely difficult to acquire. The more enthusiastic amongst you may consider attending the upcoming IJET-19 conference to be held at a beautiful location in Okinawa on April 12th/13th. This will be a particularly valuable opportunity for those new to translation to pick up lots of useful information and will include several presentations on the subject of patent translation.
5. Should I work in-house, or freelance?
インハウスとフリーランス、どちらを選ぶべきか？
This really very much depends on the kind of person you are. If you are a social person that likes to be around other people all the time then you are probably more suited to working in-house. If, on the other hand, you put great value on independence, would love the freedom to make your own schedule as you please and don’t at all mind being by yourself a lot, then freelancing may well seem like heaven to you.
6. How can I get freelance work once I feel I am ready to become a patent translator?
フリーランスで仕事を得るにはどうしたらよいのか？
There are many ways to get work once you feel you are equipped to complete the work effectively. There is, of course, the traditional approach of applying for jobs through the various media. However, a more proactive approach is likely to meet with much more success. For example, make a list of the companies that you would most like to work for (companies that most closely match your field of specialty, for example). Then find some material by the company of your choice (for example, a short section of a patent belonging to that company). Translate the material and send it to the company concerned, together with a letter explaining who you are, what you do, and why you would like to work for that particular company. This approach is much more likely to meet with success and is widely considered by people in the translation business to be the most effective. It naturally involves more effort than the more traditional approaches, but the company can see the quality of your work immediately and is likely to be more interested in somebody who has shown such an obvious interest in their company rather than somebody who has simply sent hundreds of general-looking resumes to lots of different companies.
I hope you have found the content of this article of use. If you have any further questions please feel free to either post them on the horsefrog site or send them to me directly at [email protected]. I always go to great lengths to answer any questions I receive as soon as possible. In the meantime, good luck to anybody who is considering becoming a patent translator. Maybe I will see you in sunny Okinawa!
5th Annual Contest
The finalists for both the Japanese to English contest and the English to Japanese contest have been finalized.
The winner will be announced on December 25.
Designed to foster, recognize, and reward excellence in commercial, non-literary translation between Japanese and English by new translators, the fifth annual awards will be given in 2009. A 400-member-strong organization of professional freelance and in-house translators and interpreters, JAT is dedicated to promoting the interests of individual translators and interpreters working between Japanese and English worldwide.
FIFTH ANNUAL JAT CONTEST FOR NEW AND ASPIRING TRANSLATORS
- Sponsored by: Japan Association of Translators (JAT)
- Purpose: To cultivate new talent in commercial, non-literary translation
- Qualification: Anyone with less than three years of commercial translation experience. (JAT membership not required. Except for the winners, entrants in the past contests are welcome to enter again.)
- Categories: Japanese-to-English and English-to-Japanese
- Entry fee: Free
- Awards (each category):
The First Place winner in each category will receive a free trip to IJET-20, to be held on February 14 (Sat.) and 15 (Sun.), 2009 in Sydney, Australia, including registration fee, round-trip ticket, and hotel accommodations (3 nights), plus a one-year membership in JAT. Each Second Place winner will receive a one-year membership in JAT.
Judges
- Japanese-to-English: Malcolm James, Ken Wagner, Lee Seaman
- English-to-Japanese: Ayako Sato, Yukari Ishihara, Kiyoshi Chimasu
Contest Schedule
- Sep. 1, 2008 - Source texts available for downloading from the JAT website
- Sep. 28, 2008 (24:00 Japan Time)- Submission deadline
- Nov. 23, 2008 - Five finalists announced on JAT website
- Dec. 25, 2008 - Awards announced on JAT website and by direct e-mail to the winners
- Feb. 14, 2009 - Winners invited to IJET-20 in Sydney, Australia in February, 2009
CONTEST GUIDELINES
About the Source Text
The material to be translated will be content intended for the general public educated in the source language. Refer to Previous JAT Translation Contests for the source texts used in the previous contests.
Download the source text for the JE contest here
Download the source text for the EJ contest here
Submission Guidelines
ENTRY FORM – JAT Translation Contest
- Submissions must be sent as an MS Word .doc file or a plain text file by file attachment with your entry form.
- Your file should only contain the translated text. Do not write your name or comments.
- Name the file as follows:
CONTEST E your name (e.g. CONTEST E Maria Sharapova)
- Submissions will be confirmed by return e-mail.
- Only one entry per person is allowed in each category.
Copyright
- All submissions become the property of JAT and will not be returned.
- JAT retains the copyright to all submitted entries.
- JAT reserves all rights to publicize the winners' names, winning entry, photo and/or likenesses, and background information on its web site, mailing list, and electronic or printed publications.
Judging
- Entries will be judged in three stages in accordance with the evaluation criteria provided by the judging panel. The ID numbers and translations of the five finalists will be announced on JAT website on November 23, 2008.
- The decision of the judges is final. There is no appeal or contesting of the results.
Awards in Detail
JAT will pay the following:
- Round trip economy travel from home to IJET by the most direct route.
- If traveling by train, "economy" includes a seat reservation, but excludes first class and sleeper fares.
- If traveling by personal vehicle (e.g., car), base mileage allowances (as defined by the relevant tax authority) plus parking expenses (for a maximum three nights at the hotel where the winner is staying) shall be paid.
- Hotel for three nights standard accommodation at or near the IJET venue.
- Receipts are required for all reimbursements.
- Travel arrangements and details will be discussed with the winners in advance of purchase.
Disqualification
The following are cause for disqualification.
- Incomplete application
- Entry received after the deadline
- Entry under someone else’s name, or work done by someone other than the contestant
- Dishonesty about one's qualifications
For further information please contact [email protected]
IJET19 Recap: Fred Uleman's Translation Workshop
For the next in our release of full videos of several presentations from IJET-19, we're pleased to continue the series with the following presentation from Fred Uleman:
Title: Translation Workshop
Speaker: Fred Uleman
Abstract:
This is not a presentation in which I will give you the right answers. Rather, we will all be working on a short passage (a company president talking about how he turned things around) and will arrive at, if not the right answers, at least some interesting ways to approach the job, together. I will try to have a sample translation or two as starting points for the discussion, but these will not be my translations and I expect us to disagree with much of what they did. This is a discussion to bring out useful mental tricks that you can then use in your own translation work. Please come prepared to participate.
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(Note that these videos are available for members only. The password required to view the videos can be found on the JAT mailing list.)
Stay tuned for more presentation over the next few weeks and months!
Chris Blakeslee on Economic Thinking for Translators
JAT Director Chris Blakeslee, an economics and finance specialist, has written a thought-provoking article that frames everything a translator does in an economic perspective. Use the formulas he provides to find out whether it makes more economic sense for you to hire an editor or to use a bookkeeper, and enjoy the JAT nijikai beer knowing you are actually being paid for it!
Minutes for the 2008 JAT Annual General Meeting
The JAT Annual General Meeting was held on May 17, 2008 at the Forum 8 in Shibuya. All four voting items were passed by majority vote. For details, please see the official minutes.
IJET19 Recap:「風が吹けば桶屋が儲かる」、因果関係の表現 by Atsushi Tomii
For the next in our release of full videos of several presentations from IJET-19, we're pleased to continue the series with the following presentation from Atsushi Tomii:
Title: 「風が吹けば桶屋が儲かる」、因果関係の表現
Speaker: 富井篤
Abstract:
技術文とは、因果関係の羅列といっても過言ではない。したがって、英和翻訳・和英翻訳を問わず、因果関係の表現は、決して避けて通ることのできるものではない。
このセッションでは、（１）英語における因果関係を表すさまざまの表現法を提示し、（２）これらの表現法を駆使して、いかに因果関係が表現できるかについて解説し、（３）さらに、これらの表現法をいろいろ組み合わせることによりさまざまの表現ができることを、因果関係の数と文章の数との関係にも触れながら検証し、（４）最後に、実例をもとに確認していく。
補足として、因果関係の表現法をいろいろ組み合わせる際の注意点をいくつか提示する。
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(Note that these videos are available for members only. The password required to view the videos can be found on the JAT mailing list.)
Stay tuned for more presentation over the next few weeks and months!